Thermoplastic thermally-conductive interface articles

ABSTRACT

A thermoplastic, thermally-conductive interface article is provided. The interface article is elastomeric and can be used to provide a thermally-conductive pathway between a heat-generating product such as an electronic device and a heat-sink. The interface article also can have good electrical-conductivity. The elastomeric interface article is made from a composition comprising a base thermoplastic elastomer matrix, thermally-conductive filler material, and temperature-activated phase change material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/408,939 having a filing date of Apr. 8, 2003 which claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/372,936 having afiling date of Apr. 15, 2002, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved thermally-conductiveinterface article which is made from a thermoplastic composition.Particularly, the composition comprises a base thermoplastic elastomermatrix, thermally-conductive filler material, and temperature-activatedphase change material. The thermally-conductive articles can be used asthermal interfaces to dissipate heat from heat-generating electronicdevices.

Electronic devices such as semiconductors, microprocessors, resistors,and circuit boards generate a substantial amount of heat that must beremoved in order for the device to function properly. The industry usesthermally-conductive compositions to dissipate heat from such electroniccomponents. Conventional thermally-conductive compositions can be usedin a variety of ways. For example, a thermally-conductive sheet or padmaterial can be used as an interface between the surface of theheat-generating device (for example, a memory chip on an electroniccircuit board) and an adjacent heat-dissipating device (for example,heat sink or cold plate). Such conventional thermally-conductivematerials are made frequently from compositions comprising athermosetting silicone elastomer and thermally-conductive fillermaterial.

For instance, Feinberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,114 discloses asilicone pad for removing heat from a packaged electronic device. Thesilicone pad is made by adding thermally-conductive particles (forexample, aluminum powder, nickel, aluminum oxide, iron oxide, berylliumoxide, or silver) to a mixture of silicone resins and curing agents. Themixture is poured into a mold and cured in a heated oven.

Toya, U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,494 discloses a thermally-conductive siliconematerial comprising: a) polyorganosiloxane; b) apolyorganohydrogensiloxane; and c) a catalyst selected from the groupconsisting of platinum and platinum compounds; d) heat-transfer fillerparticles (for example, metals, metal oxides, or ceramics); and e) anadhesion promoter which cures through addition reactions.

Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,870 discloses thermally-conductiveorganosiloxane compositions comprising a polyorganosiloxane and amixture of thermally-conductive fillers including finely dividedaluminum nitride particles and particles of an additionalthermally-conductive filler that is compatible with thepolyorganosiloxane.

In other applications, thermal pastes or greases containing polysiloxaneoils and thermally-conductive fillers are smeared onto the electricaland heat-sink components to form a thermally-conductive interface.

It is also known that thermally-conductive polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) articles can be made. Hanrahan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,217 disclosesa thermally-conductive interface comprising a PTFE matrix,thermally-conductive particles, and a phase change material. The patentdescribes making a composition by first coagulating a slurry of boronnitride with an aqueous dispersion of PTFE to form a powder and thencompounding the powder with a lubricant consisting of polyethyleneglycol and isopropyl alcohol.

Although the foregoing compositions and materials can be somewhateffective as thermally-conductive interfaces for some heat-removalapplications, there is a need for an improved thermally-conductivecomposition having the following properties: 1) the composition shouldbe capable of being net-shape molded into a desired interface article(for example, a film, gasket, or pad) so that no further tooling isrequired to produce the final shape of the interface article; 2) thecomposition (shaped article) should be capable of providing a tightlyconforming interface between the heat-generating and heat-dissipatingdevices; 3) the composition (shaped article) should have good overallthermal conductivity and low contact resistance at the surfaces of theheat-generating and heat-dissipating devices.

The present invention provides an improved thermoplastic,thermally-conductive composition having the foregoing properties amongothers. The composition can be used to make thermally-conductivearticles for use as thermal interfaces. The invention also encompassesmethods for making such thermally-conductive articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved thermally-conductiveinterface article which is made from a thermoplastic composition. Thecomposition comprises: a) about 20% to about 80% by weight of athermoplastic elastomer matrix, b) about 20% to about 80% by weight of athermally-conductive, filler material; and c) about 5 to about 50% byweight of a phase change material. Examples of suitable thermoplasticelastomers include styrenic copolymers, polyester copolymers,polyurethane copolymers, and polyamide copolymers as well asthermoplastic/elastomer blends such as thermoplastic polyolefins andthermoplastic vulcanizates. The thermally-conductive filler material canbe a metal, metal oxide, ceramic, carbon material, or other suitablematerial. For example, the thermally-conductive filler can be aluminum,copper, magnesium, brass, alumina, zinc oxide, boron nitride, or carbongraphite. The thermally-conductive filler can be in the form ofparticles, fibers, or any other suitable form.

The phase-change material can be a material that changes from a solidstate to a liquid state and from a liquid state to a solid state withina temperature range of about 10° C. to about 115° C. For example, thephase change material can be selected from the group consisting ofhydrate salts, beeswax, paraffin wax, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene,polyhydric alcohols, or chlorinated naphthalene. Additives, such asadhesives, tackifiers, and coloring agents, can be incorporated into thecomposition.

The articles can be used as thermally-conductive interfaces betweenheat-generating and heat-dissipating devices. Examples of such articlesinclude films, pads, and sheets. Preferably, the articles have a thermalconductivity of greater than 3 W/m° K., and more preferably greater than22 W/m° K. In addition, the articles can have goodelectrical-conductivity properties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features characteristic of the present invention are set forthin the appended claims. However, the preferred embodiments of theinvention, together with further objects and attendant advantages, arebest understood by reference to the following detailed description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembly showing a heat-sink, circuitboard, and thermoplastic, thermally-conductive interface article of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an assembly showing a thermoplastic,thermally-conductive interface article of the present invention and acircuit board containing heat-generating elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to thermally-conductive interface articlesmade from thermoplastic compositions. The articles can be used asthermal interfaces between heat-generating and heat-dissipating devices.

The thermally-conductive composition comprises a thermoplastic elastomerbase matrix. Thermoplastic elastomers are lower modulus, flexiblematerials that can be stretched repeatedly and are able to retract totheir original length when released. Thermoplastic elastomers aregenerally known materials and comprise a hard thermoplastic phasecoupled mechanically or chemically with a soft, elastomeric phase.Suitable thermoplastic elastomers include, for example, copolymersselected from the group consisting of styrenic copolymers such asstyrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene(SEBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), andstyrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS); polyester copolymers;polyurethane copolymers; and polyamide copolymers. Thermoplasticelastomers also include thermoplastic/elastomer blends and alloys suchas non-cross-linked polyolefins that are thermoplastic and thermoplasticvulcanizates. These thermoplastic/elastomer blends and alloys arecollectively known as thermoplastic rubbers. As used herein, the term,“thermoplastic elastomers”, does not include fluorocarbon polymers suchas polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Generally, the thermoplasticelastomer matrix comprises about 20 to about 80% by weight of the totalcomposition and more particularly about 40 to about 80% by weight of thecomposition.

It is important that the matrix comprises a thermoplastic elastomer forpurposes of the present invention. Particularly, the thermoplasticelastomer is significant, because it acts as a carrier and provides aneffective polymer network for the phase change materials,thermally/electrically conductive filler materials, and any additivesthat further make-up the composition. The thermoplastic elastomer iscompatible with these other components. These components can bedispersed completely and uniformly in the thermoplastic elastomermatrix.

Further, the matrix can retain the phase change material when thematerial changes to a liquid phase as discussed in further detail below.The thermoplastic elastomer matrix helps make the composition net-shapemoldable. Further, the thermoplastic elastomer matrix impartsrubber-like consistency, elasticity, and other desirable flexibleproperties to the shaped article.

In the present invention, thermally-conductive filler materials areadded to the thermoplastic elastomer matrix. Suitable filler materialsinclude, for example, metals such as aluminum, copper, silver, nickel,magnesium, brass; metal oxides such as alumina, magnesium oxide, zincoxide, and titanium oxide; ceramics such as silicon nitride, aluminumnitride, boron nitride, boron carbide; and carbon materials such ascarbon black and graphite; and the like. Mixtures of such fillers arealso suitable. Generally, the thermally-conductive fillers compriseabout 20 to about 80% by weight of the total composition and moreparticularly about 30 to about 60% by weight of the composition.

The filler material can be in the form of particles, granular powder,whiskers, fibers, or any other suitable form. The particles or granulescan have a variety of structures and a broad particle size distribution.For example, the particles or granules can have flake, plate, rice,strand, hexagonal, or spherical-like shapes with a particle size in therange of 0.5 to 300 microns. In some instances, the filler material canhave a relatively high aspect (length to thickness) ratio of about 10:1or greater. For example, PITCH-based carbon fiber having an aspect ratioof about 50:1 be used. Alternatively, the filler material can have arelatively low aspect ratio of about 5:1 or less. For example, boronnitride grains having an aspect ratio of about 4:1 can be used. Both lowaspect and high aspect ratio filler materials can be added to thethermoplastic elastomer matrix as described in McCullough, U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,251,978 and 6,048,919, the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated by reference. Particularly, the compositions of thisinvention can contain about 25 to about 60% by weight of a filler havinga high aspect ratio of about 10:1 or greater, and about 10 to about 25%by weight of a filler having a low aspect ratio of about 5:1 or less.

It is recognized that the filler material may be electrically conductivefor applications where efficient electrical transmission is needed suchas in grounding or in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shieldingdevices. Particularly, the filler material may be selected so that thecomposition and shaped articles produced from the composition have avolume resistivity of approximately 0.1 ohm-cm or lower and a surfaceresistivity of 1.0 ohm or lower.

The composition of the present invention further comprises atemperature-activated phase change material that can change from a solidstate to a liquid state and from a liquid state to a solid state withina temperature range of about 10° C. to about 115° C. The phase changematerial becomes a molten, liquid material at a higher temperature andsolidifies at a lower temperature within this temperature range. Thephase change material can be any suitable material such as a hydratedsalt, natural wax (for example, beeswax or camauba); a petroleum-basedwax (for example, a paraffin wax); or a synthetic wax (for example,polyethylene glycol, polyethylene, polyhydric alcohols, or chlorinatednaphthalene). Generally, the phase change material comprises about 5 toabout 50% by weight of the total composition and more particularly about5 to about 30% by weight of the composition.

It is recognized that additives such as antioxidants, plasticizers,stabilizers, dispersing agents, coloring agents, tackifiers, adhesives,and the like can be added to the composition in accordance with thisinvention. The thermoplastic elastomer matrix is generally compatiblewith such additives so that the additives are completely dispersedwithin the matrix.

The thermally-conductive composition containing the phase changematerial can be used to make a variety of shaped articles. The articlescan be employed as interfaces between a heat-generating device (forexample, electronic part) and heat-dissipating device (for example, heatsink or cold plate). In operation, the heat-generating electronic parttransmits a substantial amount of heat to the interface article. Thephase change material will melt at these operating temperatures whichare generally less than about 115° C. and more typically less than about90° C. As the phase change material melts, it forms a liquid film at thecontact surfaces of the interface article, electronic part, and heatsink. The film coating comprising the phase change material lowers thethermal resistance of the contact surfaces. Particularly, the liquidphase change material helps minimize thermal resistance at the surfacewhere the interface article and electronic part contact each other, andat the surface where the interface article and heat sink contact eachother. The phase change material improves the overall thermal transferproperties of the assembly so that heat can be removed quickly andefficiently from the heat-generating electronic part. The thermoplasticelastomer matrix of the thermally-conductive composition (interface) isimportant, because it provides a network for containing the liquid phasechange material and prevents it from flowing out of the interface.

In preparing the composition of this invention, the filler and phasechange materials are intimately mixed with the non-conductivethermoplastic elastomer matrix. The loading of the filler material inthe matrix imparts thermal conductivity to the composition. The mixturecan be prepared and shaped into a thermally-conductive article usingtechniques known in the art. First, the ingredients are mixed preferablyunder low shear conditions in order to avoid damaging the structures ofthe filler materials. The phase change material can be added to themixture in solid or liquid form. The resulting composition can be shapedinto the desired article using any suitable molding process such asmelt-extrusion, casting, or injection-molding.

For example, the composition can be melt-extruded into a film. It hasbeen found that very thin films can be produced from the compositions ofthe present invention. Particularly, the films can have a thickness ofas little as 0.5 mils. The films made from the compositions of thisinvention have high planar (lateral) strength and mechanical integrity.These excellent mechanical properties are found in both thick and thinfilms of the present invention.

In contrast, many conventional films are made from silicone-based fillercompositions as discussed above. These silicone films generally need tohave a minimum thickness of 2 mils. When silicone and other conventionalfilms having a thickness of less than 2 mils are made, they tend to havevery little planar (lateral) strength. The silicone films can fall apartduring handling. In many instances, the silicone films must be appliedto a supporting substrate material such as a carrier film in order tohave a sufficiently strong product. Conventional silicone-based andfluoropolymer interface compositions and films have otherdisadvantageous features. For example, in silicone-based compositions,the silicone resin and filler material can be incompatible due to theirdifferent densities and low viscosity of the silicone resin. Likewise,in fluoropolymer-based compositions, for example polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) compositions, the fluoropolymer and filler material can beincompatible. The fillers can settle and be non-uniformly dispersedwithin the silicone or fluoropolymer matrix. Also, the siliconecompositions and films typically need to be cured to set the siliconeand produce the ultimate article.

The composition of the present invention can be used to make articlesother than films, for example, thermally-conductive, EMIRFI shieldinggaskets; interface sheets; or interface pads. The thermally-conductivegaskets are particularly suitable for use in harsh conditions due totheir high mechanical strength. Such gaskets maintain high thermalconductivity over repeated use. Thus, the gaskets can be usedcontinuously over many thermal heating and cooling cycles. The gasketsare advantageous over conventional materials made from cured siliconeand silicone-filled compositions or graphite foils.

Conventional injection-molding techniques can be employed to producesuch gaskets and other shaped articles in accordance with thisinvention. In general, injection-molding involves the steps of: (a)feeding the composition into the heating chamber of an injection moldingmachine and heating the composition to form a molten composition; b)injecting the molten composition into a mold cavity; c) maintaining thecomposition in the mold under high pressure until it cools; and d)removing the molded article.

Referring to FIG. 1, an assembly 4 containing the thermoplastic,thermally-conductive film 6 of the present invention is shown. (In FIG.1, the article is shown in the form of a film for illustration purposesonly it is understood that the article can have a wide variety ofstructures.) The assembly includes a heat-generating electrical circuit8 and heat sink device 10. The top surface 12 of the heat sink 10contains a series of rod structures 14 that serve as heat-dissipatingmembers for dissipating the heat into the air. The thermoplastic,thermally-conductive film 6 contacts and tightly conforms to the lowersurface 16 of the heat sink 10 and the heat-generating upper surface 18of the electrical circuit 8.

It is known that conventional electronic parts and/or heat sink devicescan have small voids or other minor manufacturing defects on theircontact surfaces. When these components are mated together, small gapsmay appear at their interface. Also, tiny air gaps can form at theinterface of the electronic part and heat sink. These gaps and defectscan inhibit the flow of heat between the components. The interfacearticles of the present invention solve this problem by providing atightly conforming layer between the electronic part and heat sink. Asdiscussed above, the thermoplastic elastomer matrix imparts desirablerubber-like properties to the shaped articles. The articles are highlycompressible and conform to gaps and voids located on the components'mating surfaces, thereby creating an effective interface. In addition,as discussed above, the phase change material forms a liquid film atstandard operating temperatures for the electronic part. The film canconform to any gaps and voids at the interface, thereby improving theoverall thermal conductivity of the assembly.

In contrast, many conventional films do not have good conformableproperties resulting in poor transmission of heat from the electronicpart to heat sink.

Further, since the composition of the present invention ismelt-processable, the composition can be net-shape molded into partshaving complex structures and geometries. For instance, the compositioncan be injection-molded to form a flexible interface pad containingnumerous recessed portions along its contour. The surface of theinterface pad can span over multiple heat-generating elements on acircuit board even if the elements have varying dimensions. Such anassembly is shown in FIG. 2, where an interface pad 20 made inaccordance with the present invention spans over multipleheat-generating elements 22 located on circuit board 24. Theheat-generating elements 22 can be, for example, integrated memorychips. The protruding sections 26 of the pad 20 form a thermal interface28 with the elements 22 so that the elements 22 can be cooledefficiently.

In general, the thermoplastic, thermally-conductive articles of thepresent invention have many advantageous features over silicone andother conventional thermally-conductive articles including thefollowing. The articles of the present invention have improved thermalconductivity properties. Preferably, the articles have a thermalconductivity of greater than 3 W/m° K., and more preferably greater than22 W/m° K. Moreover, the articles can have good electrical conductivityas discussed above. Further, the articles can provide a tightlyconforming interface between a heat-generating and heat-dissipatingdevice. In addition, the interface articles of this invention have highmechanical strength and maintain high thermal conductivity over repeatedthermal heating and cooling cycles. Also, the interface articles can benet-shape molded meaning that the final shape of the article isdetermined by the shape of a mold cavity. No further processing,die-cutting, machining, or other tooling is required to produce thefinal shape of the article.

It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications can be made to the description and illustrated embodimentswithout departing from the spirit of the present invention. All suchmodifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appendedclaims.

1. An interface article suitable for use as an interface between aheat-generating device and a heat-dissipating device, comprising: a)about 20% to about 80% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer matrix; b)about 20% to about 80% by weight of a thermally-conductive, fillermaterial; and c) about 5 to about 50% by weight of a phase changematerial, said phase change material being capable of changing from asolid state to a liquid state and from a liquid state to a solid statewithin a temperature range of about 10° C. to about 115° C.
 2. Theinterface article of claim 1, wherein the article is in the form of afilm.
 3. The interface article of claim 1, wherein the article is in theform of a pad.
 4. The interface article of claim 1, wherein the articlehas a thermal conductivity of greater than 3 W/m° K.
 5. The interfacearticle of claim 1, wherein the article is electrically conductive andhas a volume resistivity of 0.1 ohm-cm or lower and a surfaceresistivity of 1.0 ohm-cm or lower.